Stay
by AtFullSpeed
Summary: At a time of loss and uncertainty following the downfall of Lord Voldemort, something is found between Harry and Hermione that is bound to change their lives more than evil has done. This is a H/Hr fan fiction, follows books 1-7, ignores epilogue.
1. One

"Stay"

A/N: It's been quite awhile since I last wrote a fan fiction so it's quite different this time around. The Epilogue is the only thing that I ignored when I wrote this, so everything that happens in the books up until then happened in my fic as well. Reviews are always welcome and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter series.

The doorbell chimed loudly through out the Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, but the old house-elf had gotten to the door faster than the messy raven-haired teenager had the chance.

Sitting back down in the seat he had vacated to answer the door, Harry Potter reached across the kitchen table for his bottle of Butterbeer. He absent mindedly sipped his drink and awaited Kreacher's return from (what he had assumed was) fetching the post.

Harry barely had the time to register a familiar voice making it's way down the corridor, before Kreacher appeared in the door way.

"Miss Hermione Granger is here to see Master Harry Potter." The house-elf announced before retreating out of the room to let Hermione enter.

Harry gaped at the sudden appearance of his best friend.

"Um, hi Harry." said Hermione, wishing to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen since her arrival.

"Hermione!" exclaimed Harry as his mouth broke into a smile. He got out of his chair to give her a brief hug before asking, "What are you doing here?"

"I hope it is alright, I couldn't think of anywhere else to go." She said quietly, looking down at her hands that were now fidgeting rather distractedly.

"Of course it's alright." He assured, before gesturing soundlessly to the chair opposite his own, sensing her discomfort. It was only after she moved gracefully across the kitchen towards the offered seat that Harry noticed her attire. Hermione was wearing an emerald green (a shade that was much like his eyes) dress that clung to her upper body before falling at her waist in a flowing manner. Harry had not seen his best friend in such formal attire since one of Horace Slughorn's dinner parties back in their sixth year at Hogwarts.

"Blimey Hermione, you look wonderful." Harry blurted out before he could stop himself. Cursing silently at himself, he could feel his cheeks heating up as a result of blushing. Before he was able to say more than he wanted again, Harry changed the subject. "So – err, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I've just left Ronald." Hermione began timidly, before rushing to finish the story. She gestured to her dress before continuing. "He and I had a date, you see."

In order to stop himself from staring at Hermione any longer, Harry left his chair yet again and stood leaning with his back against the stove.

"Why aren't you with him then?" he asked in an intentional sharp tone. He was overcome with a strange feeling of annoyance by the fact that his two best friends had just been on a date.

"We broke up." she said simply, before adding, "Don't worry, we're still best friends, we finally realized we aren't good for each other."

Harry took a few moments to respond, letting this new found information settle. The aforementioned feeling of annoyance had now been replaced by a sense of joy. What was going on with him?

"Er- well I'm sorry anyhow." Hermione raised her eyebrows when she detected the obvious tone in his voice when he lied. "Okay, you got me. I'm not sorry, I didn't think the two of you would last. Neither of you could go five minutes without arguing."

"Yeah, I realize that now." She replied with a hint of finality. Seeking to take the conversation's attention away from her, she posed Harry a question. "So where's Ginny?"

"We never got back together." He replied unwillingly, now was not the time Harry wished to discuss his ill-fated relationship with Ginny.

Much to his relief, Hermione seemed to sense his discomfort and changed the subject.

"Harry, can I ask you a question?" Hermione asked tentatively. Worried by her tone of voice, he slowly nodded his head allowing her to continue.

"My parents are still in Australia and even though there are no harsh feelings between Ron and I, we both agreed I shouldn't stay at the Burrow for awhile…"

Her voice trailed away, but Harry understood enough that she didn't have to finish the though.

"Do you mean you want to live here?" Harry asked eagerly, the thought of living in this empty house with Hermione was a happy one. He continued before she had the chance to respond. "Absolutely! Come on, let me show you around."

He grasped her hand and led her out of kitchen, smiling at the now relieved expression that had settled upon Hermione's face.

Number Twelve Grimmauld Place was unlike Hermione had ever seen it. Hands still linked, Harry led her around the once familiar house, quickly explaining that Kreacher had enlisted the help of other House-Elves from Hogwarts to clean the entirety of the house. Their worked sure paid off, Hermione noted, as she passed numerous shiny portrait frames on the walls.

As they passed the second door on the left, something had caught Hermione's eye. Though the cleaning had brightened the overall look of the house, the walls still had the dark and gloomy effect which made a room catch Hermione's attention. Letting go of the comfort of Harry's hand for the first time since leaving the kitchen, Hermione moved towards the slightly ajar door, and pushed it completely open to reveal the entirety of the brightly lit room.  
The walls were covered in a stunning shade of light blue except for a few select areas that contained photographs. Forgetting that she was merely a guest in his house, Hermione entered the room and went to closely inspect the moving pictures. A smile fell upon her face when she saw a woman with long red hair and a pair of emerald eyes Hermione knew so well. Lily Potter appeared to be laughing at three grown men in the adjacent picture. The three men, Sirius Black, James Potter and Remus Lupin, were wrestling each other in a playful manner giving them the appearance of being much younger.  
Tearing her eyes away from the Marauders, Hermione glanced about the room, shocked to find a small crib in the far corner and several toys littered about the floor.

"It's for Teddy." Harry explained at once, as Hermione cast him a curious look. "This is the first room I really set to work on fixing."

Hermione walked over to the dresser and picked up a toy broomstick, smiling fondly at Harry.

"He lives with Tonk's mum af-after-" He was unable to continue his sentence; the loss of Tonks and Lupin still affected him deeply. Harry cleared his throat before continuing. "I am his Godfather after all, therefore little Teddy will spend some time with me occasionally. I wanted him to have a home, even if it wasn't a permanent one. I don't want him to have the life I had because of Voldemort."

Harry had turned to face the moving pictures of his parents, godfather and old professor as he finished his explanation.

Wordlessly, Hermione returned the broomstick to its previous spot and made her way across the room to stand beside Harry.

"You truly are remarkable, you know that Harry?" He turned to face Hermione at the sound of his name but he seemed too lost in his own thoughts to register the compliment Hermione had just delivered.

"Hermione, what if Teddy doesn't want to live here? I don't want to be an awful Godfather."

"Look at me," Hermione took his hands within hers and stared into the fearful green eyes that belonged to Harry, "Teddy is lucky to have a Godfather like you. I know you're going to be brilliant as a Godfather, just as you will be when you're a father." She added the last part with a hint of a small twinkle in her eye.

Harry was unsure of what to say at the thoughtfulness of Hermione's words, therefore he simply enclosed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her warm body. The moment she responded to the hug, Harry's worries had vanished and all he could concentrate was the relief he felt when he had Hermione in his arms.  
Suddenly conscious that he held onto the hug for too long, Harry let go of Hermione immediately. He raised one of his arms to scratch the back of his head, and in doing so he caused his shirt to lift up slightly revealing his toned stomach. This did not go unnoticed by Hermione, who turned pink and hastily turned away. Confusion set in Harry's mind – since when does Hermione blush at the sight of his exposed skin?

"Come on, let me show you to my room." said Harry, leading the way out of Teddy's room. "It's not nearly as prepared as Teddy's is, but it's the second best room in the house. I haven't gotten around to arranging all the other rooms yet, so you can take my room and I'll crash on the couch."

They had reached the doorway of Harry's room, when Hermione gave him a disapproving look.

"You most certainly are not. We shared a tent for most of last year, I'm sure we can go with sharing a room for a little while. Plus, I learned a few tricks." With a wave of her wand, a spare blanket rose from Harry's bed and Transfigured into a cozy little cot in the middle of the floor. With a triumphant smile and another flick of her wand, a pillow landed neatly at the end of the bed.

"Fine, but you sleep in my bed. I get the cot." Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but Harry shook his head as if to say it was not worth fighting the issue.

It was one hour later when the both of them settled down in their respective beds, the conversation dwindling down as they became more and more sleepy. Harry had just shut his eyes and begun falling asleep when he heard Hermione's voice calling out his name.

"Did you say something?" Harry asked into the darkness of his bedroom.

"Yeah," Hermione whispered back. Her voice sounded nervous and small. "I don't want to be alone tonight. Do you think maybe you could bunk in here with me?"

Harry's stomach flipped over a couple of times at the suggestion of sharing a bed with Hermione. A battle raged within his head about his decision; would it be wise to share a bed with Hermione? _Don't be ridiculous, _replied a small voice in his head, _she's your best friend and has been for seven years, nothing will become of this. _Harry's heart leapt at the thought of something more occurring with Hermione. _No, you can't do this, Harry. It's not right. What will Ron say if he finds out?_ Ron's inevitable reaction confirmed Harry's decision to deny Hermione's offer, however he spoke before he had the chance to stop himself.

"Sure, Hermione," Silently cursing himself once again, Harry extracted himself from his bed and cautiously felt his way across the room towards his familiar bed. He climbed into bed, careful not to make any contact with Hermione, and pulled the blankets over his body.

"Goodnight, Harry." whispered Hermione in a voice that sounded safe.

" 'Night Hermione." Harry whispered back, before closing his eyes and letting sleep take over.


	2. Two

Stay: Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: None of the brilliance of the Wizarding World belongs to me all credit goes towards J.K. Rowling.**

Harry woke with a start when he felt a hand hit him across the chest. He opened his eyes, struggling to adjust the brightness that the rays of sunlight seeping through the window brought that signified morning. Harry froze when he realized he was not alone in the bed and even more so when he looked up to see a pair of beautiful brown eyes looking at him. It was a few moments later when he recalled the previous night and the reason why Hermione Granger was in the same bed as a sleeping Harry.

"Harry! I can't believe you!" Hermione screeched, while hitting his chest again. "After all these years, you went and did that?"

Edging himself away from Hermione and her abusive arm, Harry shot her a confused look. "What are you on about, Hermione?"

"House-elves! You made them clean this house!"

"Yes, I did." said Harry, calmly, and then broke out into a small laugh at the sight of Hermione's scandalous face. "It's not what you think. They were more than happy to help me."

Hermione stared at him with disbelief.

"Harry, has S.P.E.W. taught you nothing? This is slave labor! I honestly don't believe you could possibly do this."

"Like I said, it's not what you think." explained Harry. "Kreacher asked a few of the Hogwarts house-elves to help out. They were warned they would be rewarded for their help - that's when a couple of them backed out actually. After everything was done, I insisted on paying them, but they refused profusely. They eventually gave in, though. "

Hermione's face displayed a satisfied smile. She knew that Harry had a way of persuading people by flashing them his winning smile.  
She rested her head on his shoulder, an act that she would have normally regarded as innocently platonic, but there was something that made Hermione think otherwise. Harry adjusted his position so that Hermione's head now lay flat against his chest, while his arm wrapped around her shoulder and rested peacefully along the length of her arm. Neither of them spoke of their new close position and within moments, they both fell back to sleep.

The stirring body that lay across his chest was enough to wake Harry once more that morning. He smiled happily as he looked down upon Hermione's sleeping figure. The little voice in his head came alive once more and urged him to steer away from staying so close to Hermione any longer.

He cleared his throat a little louder than usual and shifted his position, in hopes to wake Hermione. She blinked her eyes once or twice before realizing the majority of her body was laying across Harry. Moving to sit with her knees propped up in front of her, Hermione put a bit of distance between herself and Harry.

"So," Harry began, breaking the morning silence. "what do you feel like doing today?"

Ignoring the question Harry just asked, Hermione turned to face Harry.

"What happened between you and Ginny?" Her eyes were full with curiosity and Harry knew her better to know there was no way of escaping the question.

"Well we broke up after Dumbledore's funeral." Harry sighed, as he pushed back his untidy hair. "We agreed to get back together once everything was over, but our plans changed. But during the year we spent searching for Horcruxes, I lost sight of a happy ending with Ginny. I talked to Ginny after Voldemort's defeat and we both seemed to feel the same way: the romantic feelings we once had for each other was gone. Whatever it was that we had for those short months at Hogwarts didn't last."

Hermione attempted to mask the joy that was spreading through out her. She did not want to display the fact that the end of Ginny and Harry's relationship pleased her.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm alright." said Harry, as he acknowledged Hermione's fake look of apologetic sadness. "Honestly, it's for the best. Ginny and I wanted completely different things. I want to settle down and have a family, but Ginny wanted to do everything else but settle. She just wants to travel and see the world. Ginny Weasley isn't what I'm looking for, and I wasn't what she was looking for. That's the way it is."

It was a rare moment when words escaped Hermione and she sufficed with nodding her head with understandment. Silence fell upon them once more, and Hermione focused her concentration on fidgeting with a loose thread from the blanket that covered the bed. She was startled when Harry spoke again.

"I just told you what the deal was between Ginny and I, it's only fair if you tell me what happened between you and Ron. You were pretty vague last night."

It was Hermione's turn to sigh and run a hand through her hair. She slouched in her position so she was lying on her back staring at the ceiling as she spoke.

"You obviously know that Ron and I fancied each other while at Hogwarts - we didn't exactly try to be subtle about it. When I kissed him after we destroyed the Horcrux, it was a result of the uncertainty that the battle held for us. I was scared we weren't going to make it out alive and I wanted to live in the moment while I could." Hermione's eyes were fixed on the ceiling above her, forcing herself not to look at Harry. "I guess you could say we were in a relationship afterwards, but nothing had changed from when we were friends. Last night at dinner, Ron and I started talking about where we were in our so called relationship. We discovered that we shared mutual platonic feelings."

"Oh," Harry replied rather lamely. He assumed Hermione wouldn't elaborate any further, but she continued with no intention to stop.

"We spent all those years waiting for the right moment to be together and along the way we inevitably changed. Our past feelings for each other were built upon something that was no longer there, making the relationship a difficult thing to keep. We never really did get the whole boyfriend and girlfriend thing down, anyways."

She flashed a sad smile at Harry.

"You alright, Hermione?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah, it's just – " she paused to look Harry in the eyes. "I've waited so long for something to happen with Ronald and to have it not work out… It's just making me wonder if I'm meant to be someone after all. I spent all those years thinking Ron was the right bloke for me and if he isn't, who is?"

The sight of sadness in her wide brown eyes made Harry's stomach drop. He reached down and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, before making sure she was listening to what he had to say.

"Hermione Granger, it is a shame Ron Weasley is not the bloke for you because I'm sure he is missing out on something amazing. You're the most talented witch of our age, Hermione, any bloke is lucky to have you and you will find him eventually. Never forget that."  
She could feel her eyes starting to sting with tears as they began to well up. Unwilling to let Harry see her cry, Hermione buried her head in the middle of Harry's chest with the comfort of his soft t-shirt soaking up her tears. She felt his body relax at the weight of her head, and Harry put a consoling arm around her shoulder. Hermione was thankful Harry did not comment as she wiped away the last of her tears.

"I don't know about that, Harry. Maybe I've already met him but I don't know he's the one yet?" She looked at him hopefully through red puffy eyes.

It was impossible to ignore, yet Harry could not think of what to say or even what to think. _Why was Hermione staring at me hopefully when she said that? _Harry racked his mind for an answer he knew he would not find._ Did she mean me?_

Harry wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to know the answers to his questions. He seemed confident in thinking that whatever the truth was, he knew that some things were about to change.

**A/N: Thank you all for those wonderful reviews! They brought a smile to my face. :) I've only just decided the storyline earlier today, but it's unsure how many chapters I can make of it. I estimate the story will be about twelve chapters long in total. I could be completely wrong though, so don't hold me to it! Hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter; the next one should be up in the next few days. Please review! :)**


	3. Three

**Stay: Chapter Three**

**Disclaimer: It comes as no surprise that I do not own anything involving Harry Potter. **

Over the course of the next few days, Harry and Hermione fell into an enjoyable routine. They would begin the day in silence, always failing to acknowledge they would awake in such close proximity.

After taking turns of showering and using the washroom, they would join each other's company once more in the kitchen where they would find Kreacher cooking a sizzling breakfast on the stove.

Hermione was continuously surprised by Kreacher. He had changed a great deal from when she first met him two years ago and Hermione gratefully noticed he no longer called her a Mudblood.

The first morning Kreacher had offered her breakfast, she insisted on refusing. She complained to Harry that SPEW still meant a great deal, and she was perfectly alright with cooking her own breakfast. Admiring her loyalty to SPEW, Harry assured her that Kreacher had taken after Dobby and asked for a payment. Hermione never refused a meal from the house-elf again.

Shortly after finishing a delicious breakfast, the two teenagers would set off to spend the day out of the large empty house. They never had a destination in mind when they left Grimmauld Place, which initially worried an organized Hermione. Her worries were soon forgotten however, as Harry always knew the way to calm a panicked and worried Hermione.

On a bright and sunny Tuesday, they chose to visit Diagon Alley. Harry and Hermione happily spent the day entering the familiar shops, pausing occasionally to purchase an item or two. After having finished lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, Harry insisted they stop by Wealsey's Wizarding Wheezes and say hello. Hermione was hesitant to agree, and Harry had a feeling it was because Ron had recently replaced Fred as co-owner with George. Something inside Harry weakened when he thought of seeing only one half of the Weasley twins; much like Tonks and Lupin's, Fred's death still affected Harry as though no time had passed from the moment it happened.

Gingerly placing his hand within hers, Harry led Hermione down the street of Diagon Alley towards the shop that garnered the most customers. The shop was not as crowded as usual therefore it was easy to spot George Weasley sitting behind the counter. He appeared to be reading a Quidditch magazine with his head resting on his propped up arm. Harry noticed with a pang of guilt that George was leaning on his only ear, as the other had been cursed off the year before. George hardly acknowledged the loud and excited customers admiring the different products, so Harry had to half-yell to get his attention.

"Hi Harry, Hermione" he greeted with a small nod of his head, looking up from his magazine. George's face remained expressionless, and Harry could tell by the pressure made by Hermione's hand that she too had noticed. "How have you two been?"

"We've been alright." replied Harry. He had rarely seen George without a smile on his face but then again, Harry thought to himself, he had hardly ever seen George without his twin. "The shop's still been doing good, then?" He added while gesturing to the almost crowded shop.

"Yeah, well I suppose everyone fancies a good laugh these days." George said a monotone voice. Harry noticed that he kept avoiding making eye contact while speaking.

"I thought Ron was supposed to be working with you, George?" asked Hermione, speaking for the first time since entering the shop.

"He normally is, but he's taken the day off, said something about spending it with Luna." He added, with a shrug of his shoulders. Harry and Hermione shared a look of shock. "Angelina's been filling in, though."

Just at that moment, the tall female strode into the room, her arms filled with boxes of what appeared to be Puking Pastilles.

"George, these are our last boxes of Puking Pastilles. I think they're enough to last us the rest of the day, but we need to send out an emergency order for tomorrow." Angelina Johnson set the boxes on the counter, before taking time to hug Harry and Hermione. "It's lovely to see you two; George didn't mention you were here."

"They arrived only a moment ago, Angelina." George picked up his magazine and turned to leave as he added, "I'll go send the order for more Pastilles."

Angelina looked sadly at the seat George had just vacated, and turned to Harry and Hermione.

"Sorry about him, you know. He hasn't been the same ever since…" her voice trailed away but regained strength as she continued. "You know he and Fred were inseparable. I don't think George has fully come to terms with his death. I've tried to help the much I could around here in the shop, but Ron seems to have already it covered."

She set to rearranging the boxes on the counter in a neat fashion as she continued.

"I've been sticking around for support, but George hasn't needed any, mainly because he won't accept that Fred is gone." Her voice was filled with sorrow, and her eyes began to brim with tears. She wiped them away while adding, "I won't be okay until I know he's okay."

It must have been feminine instinct, because while Harry stood unsure of what to do, Hermione advanced and hugged Angelina.

"George is lucky to have you." Hermione said softly as she let go of Angelina. "It will take sometime, but he'll realize how much he needs you right now."

Brushing away the last of her tears, Angelina nodded in agreement. "Listen, I've got to get going. George is in the back and I'm the only one left to deal with the customers. Molly keeps insisting you both stop by the Burrow for dinner, by the way. Cheers!"

Smiling and waving goodbye, Angelina set off for a group of girls that looked intensely interested in a display of love potions.

* * *

After quickly Apparating back to Grimmauld Place, they were informed by Kreacher that Harry had received an owl. Sure enough when they walked into the sitting room, an unfamiliar owl was waiting for Harry with its leg extended.

Taking the attached letter, Harry read it aloud.

_Dear Harry (and Hermione if you're there),_

_It's been far too long since either of you have visited the Burrow or even longer since we all last saw each other. Arthur and I both wish for you to attend dinner on Sunday, Bill and Fleur have news to share with us and we'd like it for the whole family to be there – that means you both. _

_We hope you are doing well and we send our love,_

_Molly Weasley_

After rolling the letter back up, Harry turned to Hermione with his shoulders shrugged.

"What do you think, should we go?" he was uncertain whether or not Hermione would want to face Ron.

"Of course!" beamed Hermione and she grabbed a quill from a nearby table to scribble down a response on the back of the letter. She reattached it to the owl, which took off at once.

The rest of the evening passed with an unusual silence, as both Hermione and Harry silently pondered what to expect in four days when they would visit the Burrow for dinner. They both had a specific Weasley to encounter and despite the mutual separation of both relationships, Hermione and Harry were not looking forward to it.

* * *

It felt like she had only been asleep for a mere ten minutes when Hermione awoke with a start. Without thinking, she shook the sleeping figure beside her in hopes to wake him too.

"What if it never happens, Harry?" she asked in a small voice.  
"If what never happens?" his voice sounded muffled since his head was covered by his pillow.

"What you said before about finding the right bloke." She replied with a worried tone. "It's not going to happen. What man in his right mind will ever fancy a silly witch like me? All I care about are books and fighting the lost cause of helping house-elves."

Harry was at a loss for words, but it went unnoticed by Hermione who continued on.

"I'm never going to be in love. It's never going to happen for me. I don't deserve it. I took too long to be with Ronald, and look what happened because of that! Crookshanks is the first of many cats for me."

Her voice had become unsteady and Harry knew it was because she was on the verge of tears. Taking her hand and pulling gently so that she would lean on his shoulder, Harry wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"You know I never lie to you, Hermione." He began, stroking her hair as silent tears fell down her face. "I don't know anyone more deserving than you to have somebody that loves them."

He lifted her chin with his hand so his emerald eyes were staring into her tear-filled brown eyes.

"I love you, Hermione Granger." Breathing suddenly became a very difficult thing to do as her insides twisted and turned at the words Harry had just said. All she could do was stare helplessly back, unsure of what to do or say.

Fortunately for her, words were not a necessity as Harry had brought his face closer and within seconds Hermione felt Harry's lips pressed up against hers. Hermione didn't have time to register the kiss before Harry pulled away; looking uncertainly into Hermione's dazed eyes.

Hermione crashed her lips against his and their kiss intensified greatly. She ran her hand along the back of his neck while his hands found their way through her tangled hair. Pure bliss took over Hermione, was it really possible that she was now snogging Harry Potter?

Breaking their kiss, Hermione rested her forehead against Harry's, both were breathing rather heavily. Harry smiled as Hermione's dark eyes found his.

"I love you, too" she finally said and she leaned in for another kiss.

Before she could feel his lips against hers, Harry's face vanished from sight and Hermione found herself waking up for the second time that night. Confused, she glanced beside to see Harry sleeping beside her. _How is he sleeping if we were just kissing? _An answer surfaced to her mind causing her to smack her forehead with the palm of her hand. _It had been a dream. _She never confessed her true fears of the future to Harry, and Harry had not kissed her after declaring his love for her. _I wish he had, _said a small voice inside Hermione's mind. This voice was speaking the truth, but Hermione couldn't help but do anything other than ignore it.

_It was purely a dream, nothing more_. Hermione knew that nothing similar would ever occur and she was reminded of something Dumbledore had once said. 'It does not to well to dwell on dreams and forget to live.'

She rested her head upon the pillow, thinking of Dumbledore's words. What if the dream was something she wanted to live?

**A/N: Just for future reference, I'm basing George's small storyline based on some information JK Rowling shared about where certain characters end up in the future. For some of you, I think some of the characters might become a little OOC, but I honestly don't see them being a complete different version of Rowling's. **  
**Anyways, hope you all enjoyed chapter three. Please leave some reviews (thanks to those who did for the past two chapters!). Also, don't hesitate to leave some constructive criticism either, it would help greatly**. **Thanks, and happy reading!**


	4. Four

Stay: Chapter Four

**A/N: I'm glad to see I managed to trick a couple of you with the dream, haha. Without further ado, here's the next chapter!**

When Hermione woke the next morning, she strangely felt empty and alone. She turned to find Harry missing from the bed and a sudden feeling of embarrassment shot through her when she remembered the dream from last night.

Pulling the sheets away from her, Hermione climbed out of bed and headed towards the kitchen, wondering the whole time where Harry was.

Her inner question was answered when she pushed open the door leading to the kitchen and saw Harry hunched over a piece of parchment at the table, scribbling at top speed.

"Morning, Harry" greeted Hermione, as she accepted a cup of tea that was being offered silently by Kreacher. Harry merely nodded his head at the sound of her voice. Hermione got the impression that what he was writing was heavily important, or else he would have looked up from the parchment.

Setting down his quill, Harry looked over the foot long amount of writing he had just written before rolling it up.

"Kreacher, could you send this off with Errol please?" he asked politely, handing the rolled up letter to the house-elf. Once Kreacher had left the room, Harry shot Hermione a broad smile. "Good morning, Hermione. Slept well?"

Hermione took a sip of her tea, hoping to divert attention from her blushing cheeks as the dream crept back into her mind.

"Yes, I did, thanks." Abandoning her spot standing by the kitchen counter, Hermione sat in the seat across from Harry at the table. Hoping her question was not too intrusive, Hermione inquired, "Who was that you were writing to?"

"Ron" replied Harry, handing Hermione a letter that was sitting on the table. "Kreacher woke me up this morning to let me know Ron sent me an owl. You can read it if you like."

Hermione glanced down at the letter in her hands, taking a moment to appreciate Harry's openness with her. She unfolded Ron's letter and began to read silently to herself.

_Harry,_

_It's been too long since we've spoken, mate. Have you finished Teddy's room like you were planning to last time we had a chat? If you need any help, let me know. I may not seem like the ideal bloke to give you a hand with fixing up a room, but I'm here if you need._

_Angelina mentioned you stopped by the shop yesterday with Hermione. It's a shame I wasn't working that day, though. I was spending the day with Luna. I think I know what you're thinking, what am I doing with Looney Lovegood? I'd tell you if I knew, honestly. _

_Listen, I can't remember the last time the three of us had a couple of Butterbeers and chatted a bit. How about we meet at the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow around 8? _

_Let me know what you think. _

_And by the way Harry, I'm glad Hermione is staying with you after what happened. Thanks, mate._

_- Ron_

Hermione looked up at Harry after she had finished reading the letter. Her first impression was the relief she felt at knowing Ron was not upset that she had turned to Harry after their break up. After the relief set in, she was filled with excitement at the thought of their meeting at the Leaky Cauldron.

"I said we'd go." confirmed Harry, answering the question Hermione had yet to ask.

With Hermione's feverish nod of approval, the kitchen fell into a silence.

"So, I've got a plan for the day." Harry began, breaking the peaceful silence. "I'd like to get started on fixing up the sitting room. The furniture needs to be replaced and the walls need to be repainted. You can help if you'd like."

"Definitely! Let me go shower and get changed, then we can leave." said Hermione as she left the room.

The rest of the day was spent in devotion to redecorating Harry's living room. At the paint store, the two of them got into a ridiculous debate over which color it should be painted.

Hermione voted for a nice shade of olive green, which was shot down immediately by Harry who was convinced that the room ought to be plain white. Though both were arguing with full intention to get their way, it was obvious it was not a serious argument. Eventually they both decided on a white palette that Hermione claimed to be called 'eggshell white' although Harry was unable to tell any difference from regular white.

The selection of new furniture proved to be a much simpler task. They collectively agreed on a pair of matching arm chair, a wooden center table and even a couple of bookshelves much to Hermione's insistence.

As the shopping had taken up their entire day, Harry was relieved to know that they would be able to get the room done quickly due to the help of magic. With a few waves of their wands and muttered incantations, the walls instantly brighten to the selected shade of white and the old dusty furniture was replaced with the newly bought furniture.

It was nearly ten o'clock when they had finished decorating the room, satisfied with their end result. Both equally exhausted, Harry and Hermione silently walked upstairs and collapsed on the bed before quickly falling asleep.

* * *

Hermione stared blankly at the darkness ahead of her. She rolled over in bed, careful not to disturb Harry's sleep. This was not the first time Hermione found herself completely awake in the dead of night while Harry slept soundlessly beside her. In the hours spent tossing and turning trying to dive back into a restless sleep, Hermione found the root of her sleeping problems: Harry.

They had spent every night beside each other, and it was because of this Hermione became restless. She couldn't ignore that she would wake up each morning with Harry's arms wrapped around her body. His action's did not bother her, in fact she looked forward to waking up in his arms feeling the warmth escape his body as it was so close to hers. But the actions went unspoken and for Hermione, that was enough to drive her intelligent mind into overdrive.

Why was Harry the person she chose to turn to after breaking up with Ron? She knew there was an underlying reason behind her choice, but she refused to believe it at first. Harry had become a constant comfort in her life and Hermione was grateful every minute for it. But ever since they established that they had broken off their former relationships, something had changed between them. Hermione knew exactly what it was, but she was afraid to accept it.

A little more than seven years that this wizard had stood by her side, saving her life on numerous occasions and divulged personal information she knew no one else had the privilege of knowing. Their friendship was the most important thing in both of their lives. Could they still be friends after taking the next step that Hermione so badly wanted to take?

Stressed by her own thoughts, Hermione sat up and wrung her hair out. She knew this was a conversation she shouldn't have by herself and this was the moment to bring Harry into it. She poked him in the shoulder, but he barely stirred before she jabbed him harder in the ribs. His eyes flew open before looking around frantically for the source of the pain he now felt.

Harry reached for his glasses that were located on the nightstand beside him, and put them on while sitting up.

"Hermione, what's the matter?" his voice was rough as a result of rudely being awoken from a pleasant sleep. "I _was_ sleeping if you hadn't noticed."

The thoughts racing around in her mind were preventing her from feeling sorry for waking Harry.

"Can I talk to you about something, Harry?" Hermione asked in a rush.

Through the darkness, Hermione could see a puzzled look on Harry's face.

"Could we talk about it in the morning? I'm rather tired and in case you didn't notice, I was sleeping, Hermione."

She was taken aback by the fact that Harry was unwilling to hear what she had to say.

"Never mind, just go back to bed." Hermione said, defeated. Sensing her disappointment, Harry reached for his wand on the bed side table.

"_Lumos."_ whispered Harry as the whole room lit up with a bright light. Harry could know see the tiresome expression upon Hermione's face. "What do you want to talk about Hermione?"

"I was just, um…" Hermione bit her lip nervously. "I'm in love with you."

Harry sat frozen, his eyes fixed on Hermione, who continued despite the fact that she obviously nervous.

"I know this is really weird for you to hear, and I'm really sorry for it, but I need you to know." Harry remained still as Hermione plundered on through her confession. "This is probably not good timing, I know – you just broke up with Ginny and I just broke up with Ron, but - "

"What are you doing?" Harry cut in, shock and surprise was evident in voice. "How am I supposed to react to that?"

A scared look fell upon Hermione's face. Her voice sounded so small and quiet when she responded.

"I just need you to know."

"You have no idea what this friendship means to me, Hermione." As he spoke, Harry hardly believed he was saying them. "I'm really sorry if you misinterpreted things. It was probably my fault."

Hermione leapt off the bed and stood uncertainly by the doorway.

"No, it's not your fault. I just misinterpreted these past few days, I suppose." She sounded strong yet weak at the same time, something that made Harry yearn to wrap his arms around her in comfort, yet he stayed motionless. She looked as though she wanted to say more, but shook her head at the thought and within seconds, Hermione left the room.

Harry could hear Hermione's feet traveling down the stairs in a hurried pace. A million thoughts rushed through his mind, but none stood out more clearly then the lie he had just told.

_She didn't misinterpret things. _Harry thought to himself, closing his eyes as he focused on his inner thoughts. _Think about it, Harry, you wanted this to happen! You were happy to know she wasn't with Ron anymore. You just ruined the one chance you had with her._

Ripping the covers off of him, Harry jumped out of bed and grabbed his wand before running out of the room in search of Hermione.

The hallways were empty as was the kitchen he had just loudly barged into. _Where could she be?_ He heard the sound of footsteps coming from the sitting room and set off towards the source of the noise.

Hermione was just about to take a handful of green powder at her spot standing by the fireplace when Harry walked in. Without another moment to spare, Harry wordlessly crossed the room towards Hermione. She had barely any time to react when Harry took her face within his hands and pressed his lips against hers.

The feeling that now spread through Hermione was unlike anything she had felt before. Harry hands trailed away from her cheeks and through her hair, they traveled the length of her torso before resting on her hips. Hermione gripped the back of Harry's head, deepening their kiss.

Had it not been for the fact that both lacked oxygen, Harry doubted they would never have separated. With their foreheads pressed against each other's and the sound of heavy breathing, Hermione was eerily reminded of her dream and that it was now a reality.

"I have wanted to do that for so long." She said softly, mirroring the smile across Harry's face.

Harry had just enough time to breath out "me too" before leaning in for yet another blissful kiss.

**A/N: Well there you go, I hope you all liked it! I have to admit (almost ashamedly) that I based (read: stole) Hermione's confession to Harry and the aftermath from the show The Office. I adore that show and I thought the events worked well with where I want this story to go. **  
**I hope you'll be pleased to know that there will be appearances from the Weasley family (this includes Ginny) in future chapters. Harry and Hermione can't be alone all the time :)**  
**Alright, that's the end of my ramblings. Please do me the favor of reviewing - I love getting input on my stories. Thanks for reading!**


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